


Becoming Lost

by Gemfae



Series: Wizards and Villains: Change the Way the Story's Told [1]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dumbledore doesn't know best, Gen, Memory Alteration, Severus and Sirius Work Together, abusive dursley's
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-18 23:10:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14862087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemfae/pseuds/Gemfae
Summary: Not everyone agrees when Albus Dumbledore places Harry Potter with the Dursley's. Severus Snape and Sirius Black decide to put aside their differences and work together to protect the son of the friends they lost. Harry is safest behind blood wards, but the Dursley's are not his only remaining family. A secret letter Lily left with Severus tells about family no one knew she had, who live in a place where Dumbledore can't reach them. Read on to find out how Harry comes to be raised by the most evil villain of all time-Maleficent, Mistress of all Evil





	1. Alternate Living Arrangements

**Author's Note:**

> This story is sort of an extended prologue, which will be 2-3 chapters, and mostly deals with the adults. It is setting the scene for when Harry eventually goes to Hogwarts.

November 1, 1981

“How could you Sirius? James and Lily trusted you! How could you betray them? You’ll pay for what you did! Incarcer-” Sirius Black growled lowly as Peter Pettigrew accused him of betraying his best friends when he, Peter, was the real traitor. Sirius raised his wand, intent on destroying the man who was responsible for the deaths of the two people Sirius loved most in the world, only to be caught by surprise when an explosion rocked the street.

“No!” Sirius yelled as he saw the tip of a rat’s tail disappear into the sewers. Anger, disbelief and sorrow combined to create a type of hysteria, and Sirius began laughing, throwing his head back and howling with laughter at the thought that they all, every one of them, had been tricked by the simpering, cowardly rat Peter. He was vaguely aware of Auror’s appearing, and retained just enough of his common sense to make a quick escape. Sirius ducked behind a building and underwent his own transformation, reappearing at the end of the alley as a large black dog. The Auror’s saw him, and then dismissed him, and Sirius was free to go. He needed to check on his godson, and then find someone who would listen to his side of the story. Dumbledore, perhaps? Or, would he call for the Aurors, as he had not been informed of the change in Secret Keeper? Well, he would worry about that later.

Sirius made his way through the small town, and transformed again at the edge of a small park. He immediately raised his wand, summoning the Knight Bus; the conductor didn’t bat an eye when he saw Sirius, so the news about the duel with Peter was not yet widely known. It had only been a day since James and Lily’s murders, and Sirius growled when he realized that all anyone could talk about was the “Savior” who had survived the killing curse and defeated “You-Know-Who”. No one even mentioned James and Lily, or wondered about the fate of the orphaned baby. Sirius was relieved to be deposited in London, so he could get away from the inane conversations of the other passengers.

Sirius slipped through the Leaky Cauldron and hurried to Gringott’s, where he met with Gorbunk, the goblin in charge of the Black vaults. He told Gorbunk about Peter’s betrayal and the Potter’s death, and underwent a grueling goblin test to prove the truthfulness of his statements. He prevailed, and as such won the loyalty of Gringotts; he would always have access to his vaults regardless of any decrees by the ministry, and he would always find a safe haven within the walls of the bank. Gorbunk, with the approval of the Chief Goblin, even gave Sirius an emergency portkey which would take him to a safe room within Gringotts.

His innocence proven, at least with the goblins, Sirius set about making some changes to his account and will, and exchanged some Galleons for Pounds. With Gorbunk’s assistance, he had an account set up at a Muggle Bank under a fake name, which was connected to his Gringott’s vault. Now he would be able to hide in the Muggle world indefinitely, if it came to it. That taken care of, he offered Gorbunk his thanks and wishes for financial success, then left Diagon Alley and rented a room in a nearby Muggle Inn, where he fell into a restless sleep.

The next morning, Sirius bought a ticket to Little Whinging and, when he arrived, he transformed back into his dog form to watch the happenings at 4 Privet Drive. Luckily, James had told him where Lily’s sister and her husband lived, and he had met them once at James and Lily’s wedding, so he knew what they looked like.

Sirius arrived on Privet Drive early enough to watch as Vernon Dursley left for work, and Petunia quickly locked the door behind him. Throughout the day, he heard Harry screaming constantly and another child laughing gleefully. Petunia, Lily’s horrible Muggle sister, was alternately screaming at Harry and cooing at the other child, and Sirius found himself disgusted. He observed all of this without being noticed by anyone until early evening.

“It is horrible, isn’t it?” Sirius spun around and growled, his fur bristling as a pale figure stepped out of the shadow of a tree, “Dumbledore said Lily’s son would be protected here, but I had to see for myself. It seems odd, does it not, for Dumbledore to place the boy in a home where he will be neglected and, at the very least, verbally abused when his reason for keeping him out of the Wizarding World is a fear for his mental stability?” Severus Snape tilted his head to the side in contemplation, but Sirius was acutely aware of the wand trained on him, and of the privacy ward Snape had raised. “You will return to your human form and tell me what happened that night or I will stun you and turn you over to the Aurors myself. The same applies if I do not like your answer.” Sirius transformed again, and glared at his school nemesis with cold grey eyes.

“Peter and I switched,” Sirius said, “I thought-I thought that no one would expect James to use Peter as the Secret Keeper instead of me, and that their Secret would be more secure. Peter was their Secret Keeper, and I was his; James and Lily-and Harry-should have been safe. No one should have been able to get to them.” The two men stood in silence for a few minutes, as Snape evaluated Sirius’ response.

“Ones animagus form can tell you a lot,” Snape said thoughtfully, lowering his wand but not putting it away, “For example, dogs are extremely loyal and protective…even if they are lacking in intelligence. Rats, on the other hand, are scavengers; they are very opportunistic and apt to attack at the first hint of weakness. Your trust was grossly misplaced, and because of that I have lost one of my only true friends.” Sirius met the other man’s glare for a long moment, before Snape sighed and continued, “If it were not for the fact that you also suffered a great loss, I would hex you until you were unrecognizable. As it stands, I have a proposition, and a way for you to help your godson. Come with me; we need to go to a safe place to talk.” Sirius eyed Snape’s outstretched hand with trepidation, but realized that the time for old grudges was past; they had both suffered a terrible loss in the last few days, and the time had come for them to work together.

November 17, 1981

“It is the safest option,” Severus glared at Sirius, tired of having this argument, “Harry has family there-family other than Petunia-and therefore the Bloodwards will still offer protection. This way, it will take longer for anyone to notice he is missing. This is what Lily wanted.” Severus tapped the envelope sitting on top of the table, “You’ve read the letter, you know that’s what Lily wanted; anything to keep him away from Petunia.”

The two men were at the Prince Estate in Cornwall, Severus having just recently accepted his title. They had been arguing for the past two weeks about the best course of action, and he was more than ready for the argument to be over.

“You don’t think Tuney will tell him as soon as I take Harry from her?” Sirius demanded, “And how am I supposed to even locate Harry’s- _her_? Isn’t she under a ward?”

“You will simply have to offer Petunia something she wants in exchange for her silence,” Severus said, “Or, you can hex her into silence, however they may be tracing your wand. As for locating Harry’s remaining family, you can start in Auradon. I have a map for you.” He passed over a sheet of parchment, “Magic is not widely used in Auradon anymore, so be careful. Find her, get her to sign the agreement, and set up the rune circle when you have settled on a safe place. Once you have accomplished that, return here and we will remove Harry from his current guardians.” Severus pushed a small chest towards Sirius, and the animagus reluctantly accepted it, slipping it into his pocket.

“Fine,” Sirius agreed, “I guess there isn’t any other choice right now. What will you be doing while I’m gone?”

“I will keep an eye on Harry, to make sure that their treatment of him does not escalate,” Severus replied, “I will also be making preparations so that you can safely teach him magic while you are in hiding, and I have accepted a job at Hogwarts so I can keep an eye on the headmaster.”

“Okay then, I’ll leave tonight,” Sirius said, “If things get bad before I return, I changed the wards on the Black Estate in Germany so that you will have access; take Harry there and keep him safe. You will also have access to my vaults.”

“I will use it only if necessary,” Severus assured him, “I will keep my promise to Lily, and protect her son. Work quickly Black, but don’t be reckless. Now, I have a potion to brew.” Severus left the room without a backwards glance or any further words of farewell.

At midnight, a large black dog could be seen jumping over the hedge marking the boundaries of Prince Estate. Once over the hedge, the dog looked back for a few seconds, and gave a soft woof, then took off running down the lane. A dark silhouette stood at the edge of the estate and watched the dog until it vanished into the night, before returning to his house. Neither one knew it, but it would be several years before they saw one another again.

August 29, 1985

Severus was just finishing his latest batch of Pepper-up Potion for Madame Pomphrey, when his Prince Heir ring sent a tingle down his arm. He frowned, and placed the potion in stasis; he had claimed his inheritance from his mother’s family several years ago, but he had never used the estate. To his knowledge, no one should be able to get past the wards and onto his property. Severus cast a quick Tempus, and saw that it was just after five in the morning; he decided to leave a note for the headmaster, rather than wake someone. It was August 29th, so he still had two days before the students arrived; Albus would have no reason to complain about his absence as long as he returned in time for the staff meeting on the morning of September 1st. Decision made, Severus erected a strong ward around his potions lab, then grabbed his cloak and made his way out of the castle.

Ten minutes later, Severus landed in the front parlor of his ancestral home, his wand drawn. A man with long, matted black hair and tattered clothing stood with his back to the room, holding his hands out to warm by the fire.

“Turn around slowly, hands in the air,” Severus commanded, his wand aimed with precision. The man raised his arms above his head to show that they were empty, and slowly turned.

“Why, Severus, aren’t you happy to see me?” Severus saw a mischievous grin and grey eyes set in a familiar face, and then his head exploded in pain.

“Snape! What the hell?” He vaguely felt arms supporting him as he fell, but he was more focused on the memories that were assaulting him.

He saw that night nearly five years ago, when he met Sirius outside the Dursley house in Surrey, as well as the night Sirius left to find Harry’s remaining family, and the day that led to his memory being altered…

_*********Flashback****************_

_June 26, 1982_

_Severus Snape sighed in relief as he stepped outside the school wards; he had just finished his first year of apprenticing to Professor Horace Slughorn, and he was relieved to finally be going home. The first thing he planned to do when he arrived home was pour himself a large brandy and relax with the latest Potions Journal. Before he could do that, however, Severus had an important stop to make._

_Within fifteen minutes of leaving the wards, Severus was standing disillusioned in front of the Dursley house. He was looking in the living room window, where he could see Petunia gossiping on the phone while her son, Dudley, played with some toys. Harry was nowhere to be seen. After a few minutes of watching, Severus saw Dudley throw one of his toys, knocking a picture over and breaking it. The child immediately began to cry and scream, and Petunia quickly hung up the phone._

_“What’s wrong Duddydums?” Petunia cooed, pulling the boy into a hug, “Are you hurt? What happened?” Dudley pointed at the broken picture lying on the floor and said one word;_

_“Fweak!” Petunia thinned her lips and glared towards the front door._

_“Don’t worry, Sweetie,” Petunia comforted her son, “Mummy will take care of the freak. Does my little Dudders want some cake?” Severus lost sight of the Dursley’s as Petunia carried her son into the kitchen. About twenty minutes later, they reappeared, and Petunia carried a now-sleeping Dudley upstairs. When she came back down, she immediately went to the cupboard under the stairs and pulled the door open, then reached in and pulled out a small, thin boy covered in bruises._

_“I told you not to use your freakishness in my house!” Petunia hissed, slapping the child across the face; Harry-for the messy-haired, green-eyed boy was undoubtedly Lily’s son-whimpered softly, but made no other sound as Petunia drug him into the living room. “Clean up this mess,” she commanded, pointing at Dudley’s toys, “I’ll let your uncle deal with your behavior.”_

_“Sowwy,” Harry said quietly, earning himself another slap._

_“Don’t speak unless you are told to,” Petunia snapped, “Hurry up and clean! Useless freak!” Severus fingered his wand, a curse on the tip of his tongue, when a car pulled into the drive. A man he recognized as Vernon, Petunia’s husband, stepped out of the car, and stomped towards the house. Vernon was extremely angry, if the red of his face was any indication. The man slammed the door shut after he entered the house, and his scowl became more pronounced when Harry was the first person he saw._

_“You little freak!” Vernon yelled, “This is all your fault!” Harry looked up from where he was picking up the broken glass from the picture frame, his green eyes wide with fear._

_“Vernon!” Petunia ran into the room, “Why on earth are you yelling? You’ll wake up Dudley!”_

_“It’s the freaks fault!” Vernon told his wife, “I was passed over for that promotion at work-and I know it was his doing! The freak is a curse on our family, and I’m going to teach him a lesson! I’ll make sure he never interferes in our affairs again!”_

_“Well, take him to the basement,” Petunia snapped, “Dudley was upset enough when the brat broke that picture; he needs his nap.”_

_“The freak did what?” Vernon thundered, “I’ll fix him!” He turned his attention back to Harry, who was shaking by now. As frightened as he was, the two-year old didn’t try to run when Vernon reached for him, and he didn’t struggle as he was picked up and carried out of the room. Severus had seen enough-more than enough-and he quickly ran to the front door. When he touched the handle, however, it burned his hand. With a heartfelt curse, Severus apparated to Hogsmeade, and ran up the drive from the front gates to the entrance hall. He made it to the headmaster’s office in record time, and was relieved that Albus hadn’t yet changed the password._

_“Severus, my boy!” Albus greeted him cheerfully, “Why, what brings you back so soon? Sit; have some tea!”_

_“No time for that!” Severus snapped, drinking a restorative draught to calm his heartbeat and return his breathing to normal, “As you know, upon Lily’s death I made a vow to always look after her son.”_

_“Of course,” Albus continued to smile, “You made me swear not to tell anyone, and I assure you I have not.”_

_“Well, I went to check on him at the Muggles,” Severus informed him, “I saw Petunia slapping him around, and he was covered in bruises. Vernon Dursley came home angry about being skipped over for a promotion, and he immediately blamed it on Harry, saying that he was a curse on their family. He told Petunia he was going to teach Harry a lesson, and she told him to take it to the basement so that Harry didn’t wake Dudley up with his screams. They are abusing that child Albus! You cannot let him remain with them, Albus; he is not safe.”_

_“You should not have visited the Dursley’s without speaking to me first,” Albus frowned, the twinkle gone from his eyes, “You must believe that I would never intentionally leave Harry in danger, and I will remedy this situation immediately.” Albus drew his wand as he stood and Severus relaxed, only slightly, but it was enough. “Obliviate.” Severus’s eyes glazed over, even as he tried to fight the spell; he could feel Dumbledore trying to eradicate his memories, and quickly gathered them into a corner of his mind, locking them in a box with a specific key; only one person could now unlock those memories, and Albus would never know they were there. His memories safe, Severus allowed himself to fall under the headmaster’s spell. “You checked on Harry Potter, and he is being well-taken care of. His relatives are spoiling him, and you have no doubt he will be just like James Potter by the time he attends Hogwarts. You will not waste any more of your time and energy worrying about the boy, and you hate all Potter’s, the Marauder’s and all things Gryffindor. You came here to tell me that you will be unavailable for a few days while you catch up on your personal potions projects.” Dumbledore finished the spell, and Severus blinked a few times, before scowling at the headmaster._

_“As I said, I shall be unavailable for a few days, unless it is a dire emergency,” Severus said, “Good evening, Albus.” He stood up and made his way to the door._

_“Have a wonderful summer, my boy!” Albus called after him cheerfully._

_*************************_

Severus groaned as his memories settled into place, and then he glared at the man staring down at him anxiously.

“You-where the hell have you been?” Severus demanded, pushing Black away from him and getting to his feet, “I told you to hurry, and it has been nearly four years! Do you know what Harry has gone through in that time?” He reached into his pocket and withdrew a headache potion, downing it in one gulp; he hid a sigh of relief as the potion began working immediately.

“What do you mean?” Sirius growled, tensing for a fight, “If anything bad happened, you were supposed to get him out of there-you promised!”

“And I tried, you idiotic mutt!” Severus snapped, “The house was warded so that I was unable to get in, so I went to Albus, and he Obliviated me! That old fool-what was he thinking!”

“Never mind that,” Sirius said impatiently, “What happened to Harry? Is he alright?” Severus’ shoulders slumped in defeat.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, “Albus performed the memory charm nearly three years ago. The last time I saw Harry, Petunia was slapping him around, his cousin broke something and blamed it on him, his uncle called him a curse on the family, and he was covered in bruises. Vernon Dursley was taking Harry to the basement for punishment the last time I saw him.”

“We have to go get him!” Sirius cried, running towards the door.

“Not so fast,” Severus closed the door and locked it with a spell, “We won’t be able to get into the house, and Dumbledore likely has people watching it. We need to get Petunia away from the house, and force her to give Harry to us. Do you still have a wand?”

“I stopped by Gringotts and traded my wand for one of the family wands,” Sirius said, striding towards the door, “We may not be able to get into the house, but we can watch it until one of those monster’s leaves.”

“You cannot seek revenge,” Severus cautioned, “Not yet. We need to get Harry out of that house and far away from here as quickly as possible; revenge can be taken care of once the child is safe.” Sirius growled, but nodded to show his agreement. “Very well, Mutt; let’s go.” Severus grabbed Sirius’ arm and apparated them to the same wooded area-consisting of nothing more than a few trees on a corner lot-which they had used to spy on the Dursley’s four years ago. Once there, Severus disillusioned himself and Sirius changed into his animagus form.

The two men were there for an hour when they saw Petunia leave the house with two children in tow; one was an overweight blond child, and the other was Harry. The blond was told to get into the car, while Harry was snapped at to hurry up and get to Mrs. Figg’s house. Petunia watched Harry with hawk-like eyes until he disappeared into a neighbor’s house, then climbed in the car and drove away. Severus cast a tracking charm on the vehicle, and then prepared to monitor the charm until the car came to a stop.

Twenty minutes later, Severus and Sirius (the latter disguised as a Wizard with short, spiky brown hair and brown eyes) strolled casually through a Muggle shopping center, searching for Petunia Dursley. The two Wizard’s had forgone their robes, and were dressed simply in black slacks and button-up shirts-grey for Severus and dark red for Sirius. As they came upon the food court, Severus spotted Petunia sitting at a table with her son. Petunia had a salad, while her son had Pizza, fried chicken and a hamburger. As the two men approached the table, they could hear Petunia promising Dudley ice cream once he finished his lunch.

“Hello, Petunia,” Severus said softly, “What a pleasant surprise.” Petunia turned with a large fake smile on her face, which quickly disappeared when she realized who was standing behind her.

“You!” She hissed, “What are you-”

“Silence,” Severus spoke over her, not raising his voice but still commanding obedience, “Black and I have a proposal for you; if you agree to it, no harm will come to you or your son. Draw attention to us and…well, it won’t be pleasant.” Severus slipped his wand out of its holster, and smirked when Petunia paled.

“Fine!” she snapped, masking her fear with anger, “Tell me what you want, and then get away from me! I don’t want your kind around my son! It’s bad enough we have to let the freak live with us!” She shot a nervous look at her son, but he was too engrossed in his food to pay attention to their conversation.

“Don’t you call my godson a freak, bitch,” Sirius growled, making the woman pale, “You should count yourself lucky that Harry’s safety is more important to me than revenge.”

“As it stands, we are here to relieve you of your responsibility to the boy,” Severus announced, and didn’t even bother hiding his smirk when Petunia sat up straighter; it would take very little to convince the woman to give up her rights to Harry…

Later that evening, a blue sedan drove into a rundown neighborhood in Cokeworth, and stopped in front of a decrepit house. Petunia Dursley got out of the driver’s seat, and stepped around to the trunk of the car; Severus stood disillusioned on the front porch and watched in shock and disgust as the woman opened the trunk and reached inside. When she withdrew her arm, her hand was clutched around a scrawny wrist, and she yanked the boy from the car, quickly dropping him on the ground. The young boy began crying, and she snapped at him to be silent, before reaching down and yanking him to his feet. She pushed the boy towards the house.

“Go on, boy!” She ordered, “That’s your new home now, and don’t even think about coming back to us.” She gave Harry another hard shove and then quickly got back in the car and drove away, not even waiting until Harry made it out of the street. Severus immediately went to try and calm the sobbing child, while Sirius threw a hex at Petunia’s car-it missed, unfortunately.

“Please no! I be good! I be good!” Harry was crying out, his arms stretched towards where he had last seen his aunt; he strained against Severus’ hold, but made no real attempt to get free.

“Harry, look at me,” Severus spoke calmly, and wide, tear-filled green eyes looked up at him.

“Who Harry?” the boy asked, “I freak.”

Never had Severus regretted making a vow more than at his moment; Petunia had agreed to give them Harry with minimum fuss, only stating that she did not want to see the two Wizards again. She threatened to report them to Dumbledore unless they made an Unbreakable Vow not to approach her or seek revenge on her when she dropped Harry off. Neither Severus nor Sirius were thrilled with the vow, but they hadn’t expected to be forced to watch as Petunia abused the child in front of them, either. Severus’ only consolation was that the vow only stated they would not seek revenge when Petunia dropped Harry off-the vow said nothing about seeking revenge at a later time, and that was exactly what Severus planned to do. For now, however, his priority was the injured child in his arms.

“No, you are Harry,” Severus corrected gently, even as he planned Petunia’s death, “Harry is the name your parents gave you. My name is Severus, and this is Sirius. Come eat with us, and we’ll tell you what happened, okay?” Harry nodded uncertainly, but allowed Severus to carry him into the house. Severus took him straight to the kitchen, and placed a sandwich in front of the five-year-old; he’d asked his house elf, Trinity, to fix it earlier. “Eat your supper, Harry.” Harry hesitantly took a bite of the sandwich, his wide green eyes going back and forth between Severus and Sirius. After making sure Harry ate the whole thing, and drank the milk (which had been used to mask the taste of a healing potion), Severus started the explanation.

“Harry, as I said, my name is Severus,” he began, “I was friends with your mother a long time ago. This is Sirius, and he was friends with your father. The night your parents died, a powerful man took you to live with your aunt because he thought she was the only blood family you had left. We did not believe that, and Sirius knew your mother and Petunia did not get along, so he went to find someone else who could keep you safe. It took him a very long time, but he found someone. She lives very far away from here, and Sirius is going to take you to her. He will stay there too until he is sure you are safe.”

“Not go back?” Harry asked, “No more freak?”

“That’s right, pup,” Sirius smiled at him, “You’ll never have to go back there again, and if anyone calls you a freak, I’ll bite them for you.” Harry gasped as Sirius transformed into a dog and barked menacingly for a moment, before giving a happy “Yip!” and wagging his tail, causing Harry to laugh.

“I’ll keep you safe, okay Harry?” Sirius said as he returned to his human form.

“Safe,” Harry nodded, “Siri.” He tilted his head and looked at the other dark-haired man, who had been watching them with quiet amusement. “Sev-Sever-Serv-” Harry pouted, unable to remember the name, “Sev come? Sev safe too?”

“I will stay here,” Severus said, deciding not to call Harry out for butchering his name, “I will make sure it is safe here so you can come back and go to school when you are older.” Severus was surprised that Harry was taking everything so well, but he expected the child would have a breakdown later; he only hoped that Sirius would be able to handle it. Thankfully, Severus had packed several potions, including calming draughts. At least Harry’s cuts and bruises had been healed by the potion; a discreet diagnostic while Harry was eating had also confirmed there were no internal injuries, although there was evidence of improperly healed broken bones. In addition, the child was malnourished, but Severus had been able to tell that just from looking at him.

“Oh.” Harry frowned, as if he was trying to understand, then smiled, “Sev make school safe! Harry go school!”

“That’s right,” Severus smiled, “I will make the school safe for you to go to when you are older. Now, Harry, you and Sirius will be leaving soon, and you will use magic.”

“Magic real?” Harry asked, green eyes wide.

“Of course it’s real!” Sirius said, “Magic lets me turn into a dog, and it lets us travel really far. There’s a lot magic can do, and I’m going to teach you all of it!”

“You were successful in setting up the circle then?” Severus asked, and Sirius nodded.

“The magic circle is ready,” he confirmed, “Were you able to get everything else?”

“Yes,” Severus summoned three large trunks, and then shrunk them down to would fit in Sirius’ pocket, “I have included several practice wands, and a two-way endless journal so that we may keep in touch.”

“Good,” Sirius said, then looked down at Harry, “Now Harry, I want to tell you about the people we will be staying with. When your mother was a baby, a mean man kidnapped her, and gave her to a nice couple to raise. Your mother’s real mom was a fairy, named Maleficent, and she thought your mom was dead. I told her about you, and she wants you to come live with her, and be a brother to her other daughter, Mal.” Harry frowned in concentration again, and slowly understood what he was being told; Harry was an intelligent child, despite his speech not being very well-formed for his age. Severus was certain Sirius would be able to improve Harry’s speech as well, in time.

“I have mommy?” Harry’s green eyes were wide with wonder as a smile stretched across his face.

“You’re going to have a mom and a sister,” Sirius confirmed, “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes, go,” Harry said, letting Sirius lift him out of his chair. He turned to Severus and offered a sweet smile, “Bye Sev. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Harry,” Severus replied, gently ruffling the small boy’s hair, “I shall see you in a few years. Take care of him, mutt.” He glared at Sirius, who responded with a laugh.

“I’ll miss you too, Sev,” he said, knowing and taking advantage of the fact that Severus wouldn’t hex him while he was holding Harry, “Okay Harry, hold onto me really tight. We’re going on the count of three. One…two…three…” Severus waited until the man and child had gone, then reapplied his wards before returning to Hogwarts. He had much to do if he was going to make the school safe for Harry.


	2. Joining the Lost

August 29, 1985-Isle of the Lost

Harry clung tightly to Sirius’ neck as the portkey activated but, by the time they landed, the little boy went limp in Sirius’ arms. Sirius wasn’t surprised; portkey travel could be hard on young children, and they just used an international portkey, which took them through a magical barrier. Sirius was feeling a little unsteady himself, come to think of it. He needed to get Harry to Maleficent so they could rest, but first…

Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out the three trunks Severus had given him. He was currently standing in a dark forest, in the middle of the magic circle he had set up before returning to get Harry. The circle had a diameter of about a hundred feet, and it was the only place on the Isle that magic worked. Sirius looked at the three trunks and picked out the one that had an image of a cauldron on top.

He gently set Harry on the ground, wrapping the boy snuggly in a cloak first, and then resized the appropriate trunk with a tap of his wand. He searched inside until he found a bag that he knew contained several potions, as well as some quality food and other important objects (such as the two-way journal that would let him communicate with Severus). The bag was equipped with an undetectable extension charm, so he could add more to it later if needed. Once the bag was secure in his pocket, Sirius shrank the trunk back to pocket size; luckily, spells that were cast in a magical area would work even in the non-magical areas of the island, something he had made sure to check out when he first visited the Isle.

Once everything was secured again, Sirius gathered Harry up in his arms and carefully made his way out of the forest; stealth was necessary at this point, and Sirius kept his eyes and ears open, thankful that his animagus form granted him enhanced senses even in his human form. Luckily, the forested area was near his destination, a large castle-shaped building at the edge of a village, and it took Sirius less than twenty minutes to reach the backdoor. Two large men were standing guard, but they recognized him and let him through. Sirius slipped through the backdoor and made his way to the front of the building, where he found Maleficent sitting in a green, high-backed arm chair, telling a story to the little purple-haired girl sitting at her feet.

“…and then the silly girl pricked her finger on the spindle of the spinning wheel and died,” Maleficent gave an evil laugh, then scowled, “That’s how it should have happened, but those interfering good fairies changed my curse, so the princess only fell asleep instead. So, let that be a lesson to you, young lady; revenge should always be planned carefully, not acted upon in the spur of the moment.”

“Yes, Mother,” the little girl, said obediently. At that moment, Maleficent looked up and spotted Sirius and Harry entering the room.

“Sirius!” Maleficent bellowed, waking the child in his arms, “Well? Is that him? Bring him!”

“Here he is,” Sirius said, setting Harry down and taking his hand, the little boy looked around in confusion, shrinking back from the darkness and shadows in the room. “Harry, this is-”

“Harry!” Maleficent interrupted, “My name is Maleficent, and I am going to be your new mother. This is your sister, Mal.” She indicated the girl still sitting at her feet. Mal looker up, green eyes practically glowing in her pale face. Harry looked at her curiously, and then smiled, pointing at her eyes.

“Green,” he said, “Pretty.” Harry then looked at Maleficent and his smile turned to a frown. He slipped his hand out of Sirius’ and slowly walked up to her, stopping only a foot away from her chair. Maleficent looked down at him, her light green gaze meeting his emerald eyes, neither one of them blinking. After several minutes, Harry smiled and reached out to touch her dress. “Mommy.” Maleficent’s expression softened slightly, and she reached down to caress Harry’s cheek.

“You have Lily’s eyes,” she murmured, before smoothing out her expression, “Yes, I am your new mother. Mal and I, we are your new family.” Maleficent studied him for a moment, and then announced, “You are my son, Ree.”

“Ree?” Harry questioned, then nodded, “Ree. Mommy. Mal.” He pointed at each of them in turn, then smiled at Sirius, “Siri.”

“Very good, Pup,” Sirius smiled, “Thank you, Maleficent, for letting me bring him here. I know you only did it for Lily-”

“He is my family, my blood,” Maleficent interrupted, “I will protect him as I do Mal, and raise them as brother and sister. He looks ill; what has happened to him?”

“The people he was with were abusive,” Sirius said quietly, taking the potions out of his pocket, “We already gave him some healing potions, but it will take time for him to get better. He’ll be taking nutrient potions for at least two months, according to Severus; and that’s only if he’s able to eat well during that time.” Sirius looked closely at Mal, and her mother, then hesitantly offered, “They don’t give you decent food here. I have some extra nutrient potions here, and I have a way to get more. I can also get us some better food.”

Maleficent was silent for a minute, and Sirius was worried he had offended her; Maleficent may not have her magic anymore, but she was still a very frightening woman when she wanted to be. Finally, she replied.

“Very well. Mal and Ree need to be healthy in order for our plan to work,” Maleficent turned her gaze on the children, “Diaval!” Sirius jumped as a raven flew out of the shadows, dark eyes glinting intelligently and a red amulet around its neck. The raven glided towards Maleficent’s chair and, as he did so, his form blurred and grew, changing so that in the end it was a young man who landed in front of Maleficent and knelt.

“My Queen,” the man said respectfully, not rising until Maleficent gave him leave.

“Diaval, you remember Sirius,” Maleficent said negligently, and Diaval nodded, flashing Sirius a small smile before returning all his attention to Maleficent. Sirius remembered Diaval as well.

When Sirius first came to the Isle nearly four years ago, he knew he would get better results with Maleficent if he brought her a gift. Thankfully, Sirius had been made aware of Maleficent’s one true friend, the only one she still trusted even marginally. This companion of hers had started out as a Raven, but Maleficent’s Faerie Magic had not only transformed him into a human, but had also given him human intelligence-this after she saved the raven from a hunter. The raven, who said his name was Diaval, soon became a steadfast companion, and the only person Maleficent was likely to listen to even occasionally.

When Maleficent had been defeated, Diaval had been turned to stone, and he remained that way even after her resurrection and subsequent banishment to the Isle of the Lost. Sirius, with help from Snape, had created a potion to return Diaval to life, and then Merlin-the Merlin!-had passed along an amulet that granted Diaval the ability to change between his human and animal form, even though the barrier around the Island blocked all magic. Merlin had given Sirius the same amulet, allowing him to access his animagus form. In addition, Merlin had shared with Sirius a prophesy, which involved Harry and four other children.

“Diaval,” Sirius was drawn out of his thoughts as Maleficent began speaking again, “Take the children to Mal’s room. Ree will stay with his sister until we find a room for him. You will watch over both of the children while Sirius and I discuss a few things.”

“Of course, My Queen,” Diaval agreed, giving a shallow bow before turning his attention to the two children. Mal looked at Diaval with dislike, but Harry-or Ree-regarded him with curiosity. “Time for bed Mal,” Diaval said, holding out a hand to each child, “Ree, tell Sirius good night.”

“Night!” Ree said cheerfully, giving Sirius a hug; he then ran to Mal and took her hand instead of Diaval’s, “Sister show me room?” He asked trustingly, and the dislike in Mal’s eyes faded slightly.

“This way,” She snapped, imitating her mother; she ignored Diaval’s outstretched hand and strode from the room, Harry trotting along happily at her side, and Diaval following a few paces behind.

Sirius watched the trio until they disappeared around the corner, smiling slightly as he listened to Harry-Ree, he’d have to remember to call him Ree from now on-speak to Mal and Diaval in broken sentences. His smile faded slightly, as he thought of the reason why Ree’s speech was so broken; Petunia was extremely lucky that Sirius’s main priority was to get Ree to safety, otherwise he’s have happily cast a few spells that would see him in Azkaban with a broken wand.

Still, there would be time for revenge later, when Harry was stronger, and it was safe for Sirius to return to England. Until then, Sirius had a godson to help raise, and, if Merlin was correct, he would also be the key to making sure that a certain prophesy was fulfilled. That too was a concern for another time; right now, Sirius had an irritated, evil Faerie glaring at him with glowing green eyes, and he decided he should probably pay attention to what she was saying; he did value his life, after all.

August 30, 1985

The next morning, Sirius couldn’t help but smile as Harry-Ree-and Mal entered the kitchen. Ree was listening with wide eyes as Mal was telling him a story.

“…and Mother was angry that the evil king didn’t invite her to the party for the new princess,” Mal was saying, “…so she came to the party anyway, and gave the princess a curse to cut her finger on a needle and die when she grew up. She cast the curse too early though, and another fairy made the curse so that the princess would only sleep until her true love kissed her. The king then told three stupid fairies to hide the princess and raise her, and Mother sent the goblins to find the princess. The goblins were stupid though, and they kept looking for a baby even after the princess would have grown up. When Mother found out, she had Diaval look for the princess, and he found her in a day. Mother made the princess poke her finger, and the princess fell asleep. Mother thought she had won, but then the stupid fairies found a prince who kissed the princess and woke her up. The prince killed Mother, and that’s why she always says that you have to plan revenge so that stupid fairies can’t mess it up. See?”

“Yes,” Ree nodded, “Mother says not be stupid.”

“Very good, Ree,” Ree preened at Diaval’s praise, “Your Mother wants you to be very careful when planning revenge so that you don’t get hurt. Now, let’s see what we have for breakfast.”

“I thought we could all have toast and eggs,” Sirius said, drawing the kids’ attention to the table where platters of food were waiting, “There’s some bacon and sausage too, and some fruit and juice or milk.”

After a leisurely breakfast, Sirius and Diaval took the children for a walk around the Isle, wanting both Ree and Mal to know the best hiding spots. They had lunch in the woods, from a basket Sirius had packed, and then returned to the castle. Once there, Sirius worked with Mal on her writing, while Diaval helped Harry. Sirius would have liked to work with his godson, but Mal had some prejudice against Diaval-never liked him, even when she was first introduced to the man-so Sirius decided it would be best if he handled her tutoring for the day.

They studied for most of the afternoon, then Sirius read them a story while Diaval met with Maleficent. After supper, Maleficent spent time with the children, once again telling the story of how she almost succeeded in taking over the kingdom.

August 5, 1990

The next several years passed quickly. Sirius and Diaval spent most of their day with Ree and Mal, while Maleficent only spent an hour or two with them in the evenings. Ree’s speech quickly improved, and he also caught up to Mal in their schoolwork. After Ree got caught up, they changed the schedule so that the children did their schoolwork in the morning, and Sirius took them to play in the afternoons. There was a small playground on the outskirts of the town, and Sirius would sit back and watch as Ree and Mal interacted with the other children. By the time the children were eight, they had made both friends and rivals among the other villain children, and Sirius believed he knew who the other prophesy children were.

Ree and Mal made quick friends with Jay, son of Jafar, Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen, and Carlos, son of Cruella De Vil. Although Ree and Mal made other friends, they had a special bond with Jay, Carlos and Evie, and the three soon joined Ree and Mal in their lessons. The five children irritated Diaval to no end with their mischief and pranks, but Sirius found them to be a joy to teach. Of course, he, Sirius, got to teach them the fun lessons-magic, herbology, potions and stealth. Diaval helped with the last, but he had no magic of his own, and so focused on teaching the children reading, writing and arithmetic. He also taught them some astronomy, and Sirius and Diaval together taught them history-Diaval focused on the history of Auradon and the Isle of the Lost, while Sirius taught them Wizarding History from a book provided by Severus.

The most important thing Sirius taught the children was, in his opinion, how to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Ree would be recognized at once upon returning to the Wizarding world, and he would need to know how to go about unnoticed. The fact that these lessons required the kids to successfully plan and pull of pranks, reminding Sirius of his Marauder days was just a bonus; besides, as Ree’s godfather, it was his responsibility to teach him about the Marauder legacy.

Finally, though, it was time for Sirius to return to Britain and get a feel for the mood in London. Severus kept him updated via their two-way journals, but the Potions Master was the first to admit that it was hard to keep up with current events when he was at Hogwarts teaching for ten months out of the year. So, a few days after Ree turned ten, Sirius prepared to return to the Wizarding World. Before he left, however, he took Mal and Ree to the playground one last time. The kids made a beeline for the jungle gym, and Sirius took the chance to examine them while they were getting settled.

Mal looked the same as she had when he first saw her nearly ten years ago, only older now. She had the same amethyst-colored hair, pale skin and green eyes. Her clothes were shades of purple, interspersed with black and hints of green, and she had her symbol (dueling dragons, one black and the other green, in the shape of a heart) on the back of her jacket.  She was the acknowledged leader of the group, and the other kids looked up to her.

Ree, on the other hand, had changed a lot in the years that they had spent on the Isle. He still had his father’s olive skin tone and his mother’s emerald eyes, but he had reached a healthy weight and grew a few inches, although the years he suffered at the Dursley’s meant that Ree would always be on the short side. He chose green as his main color, with black and hints of purple. He had chosen a green-and-purple-scaled occammy with silver wings coiled inside a heart as his symbol.  His hair was as unruly as ever, but over the years the color had changed from dark brown to a deep, rich green with purple bangs framing his eyes and streaks of purple throughout.

(Sirius had noticed that many of the kids on the Isle of the Lost had oddly colored hair; upon researching the kids parents, he had found that kids whose parents once practiced magic tended to have the colorful hair. Sirius had come to the conclusion that the kids’ hair took on the odd colors due to the magic in their veins not having any other outlet. Even though Ree, Mal and their friends practiced magic for a few hours every day, they could only do so in the protected area Sirius had set up; this meant that their magic was trapped in their body for most of the day. Having colored hair was a sign of prestige on the Isle, and many of the inhabitants paid to have their children’s hair dyed unusual colors.)

Sirius shook himself out of his thoughts and turned his attention to the two sulking children.

“I don’t see why you have to go,” Ree said, “Why can’t you just wait until next year and take us with you?”

“Because we don’t know if it’s safe for you yet,” Sirius replied, “If we don’t plan this right, they might try to take you away from your family. I have to make sure that, when you go to Hogwarts, your friends go too so that you always have support. A lot of people will try to change you, but you have to remain true to yourself.”

“You won’t forget us?” Mal’s gaze was intense; demanding, “You will send for us?”

“Of course I won’t forget you!” Sirius assured her, “Just like Ree is my pup, you’re my little darkling. I haven’t spent all these years teaching you everything I know just to leave you trapped on an island! No, I promise; you will be going to Hogwarts, we just have to make sure the timing is right.”

“What if you get caught?” Ree demanded.

“Well, of course I will get caught, eventually,” Sirius replied cheerfully, “That’s all part of the plan, remember? If they refuse to listen to me, Severus and I do have a back-up plan. I’ve been plotting and planning for longer than you’ve been alive; don’t worry about me. Now, it’s getting late, so I should be going. Come here and give your Uncle Siri a hug.” Ree was the first one down, and he ran at Sirius, wrapping his arms tightly around his godfather’s waist.

“Be safe, and come back for me,” Ree said.

“We’ll be together again,” Sirius promised, “Never doubt it. Be good-er, evil. Cause mischief and look out for your sister and friends. Make me proud, pup.” Ree nodded against his chest and then stepped back, allowing Mal to throw herself at her uncle.

“Don’t forget us,” Mal said, “If you leave us here to rot, we will find our own way off the Isle, and we will make you pay.” Sirius let out a bark of laughter and hugged her tighter.

“I don’t doubt it, darkling,” he said, “It might not be right away, but I will make sure you all get to Hogwarts together. Take care of your brother.” Mal stepped out of the hug, and Ree stepped forward to take her hand.

“You two look after each other,” Sirius reminded them one more time, “Keep studying and practicing; we’ll see each other again in a while.”

Sirius looked at his godson and the girl he’d come to see as his goddaughter and felt a wave of sadness and fear; he and Severus, with some input from Maleficent and Diaval, had planned everything out, but there was always the chance that something could go wrong. What if he never saw these two again? Not wanting his godchildren to see him cry, Sirius gave them a roguish wink and assumed his animagus form. He gave one happy bark, then ran off into the woods. If everything went right, Ree would be returning to magical Britain soon, accompanied by his adopted sister and their friends; the Wizarding World had no idea what was coming. 


	3. Lost and Found

August 1, 1991

“It’s no use, Albus,” Minerva McGonagall sighed despondently as she looked at the letter sitting on the Headmaster’s desk, “Harry Potter is somewhere out of our reach. Even the Fidelius Charm allows letters in, so I have no idea where he could be. Are you certain-?”

“He is still alive,” Albus confirmed, “That much I know. I sent Severus to speak to the Dursley’s again, and they have no knowledge of where young Harry could be. Petunia doesn’t even remember seeing him, although I know she accepted him into her house because there were faint traces of the Blood Ward on the property; I could also see evidence of memory modification having been done.” He paused to examine one of his silver instruments and shook his head. “Harry is still protected by a Blood Ward, but I don’t know how; Petunia was Lily’s only living relative, and James is the last of the Potters.”

“There were no clues at the Muggles house?” Minerva pressed, and Albus shook his head.

“No,” he said, “I even tried Legilimency, but all I could see was that someone offered her money to let them take Harry. I tried having the money traced, and it did originally come from an account at Gringott’s, but the goblins will not cooperate. They say that none of their laws have been broken, and so they shall continue to protect their client. Of course, I suspect Sirius Black was behind Harry’s disappearance, especially since he returned so recently, but he refuses to say anything.”

“What about Veritaserum?”

“Sirius is immune to it,” Albus gave a wry smile, “In any case, if Harry is under the Fidelius Charm, Veritaserum would not work; the Secret Keeper has to give up the location of their own free will. We shall have to keep working on Sirius, and hope he gives us Harry’s location soon. In the meantime, I shall arrange a meeting with Augusta Longbottom; if Harry does not return, Neville may have to take up his mantle.”

“Albus! He’s just a child!” Minerva protested.

“Oh, I don’t expect anything to happen anytime soon,” Albus waved away her concern, “I just want to make sure that Neville receives some extra training in case the worst happens. I intend for him to have a happy childhood; I do not intend to burden him with worries about Voldemort until he is older. Madame Longbottom, however, will need to be told immediately.”

“Very well,” Minerva stood, “I should be going; I am delivering a letter to a Muggleborn girl tonight, and I expect I will be chaperoning her in Diagon Alley most of the day tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Albus smiled, “I will be meeting with Augusta tomorrow. If you see Severus, please remind him of the staff meeting in three days.” Minerva promised to do so, and then left the office. Once she was gone, Albus slumped in his chair, closing his eyes. Harry Potter was missing and had been for several years. Somehow, Sirius had tricked the Blood Ward into allowing someone else to keep the child. A blood adoption, perhaps? They were illegal, but that wouldn’t stop a dark wizard. Albus set that thought aside for another time and straightened his shoulders. He had thought to speak with Augusta tomorrow, but perhaps he should get it out of the way now. Then, tomorrow, he could try to locate Remus Lupin; if anyone could get Sirius to talk, it would be Remus. Satisfied now that he had a plan, Albus stepped over to the fireplace and tossed in a handful of Floo powder. He stepped into the fireplace and called out “Longbottom Estate”, then he was gone in a swirl of green flames.

December 19, 1992

“Chief!” Head Auror Rufus Scrimgeour was locking his door, about to leave for the evening, but the shout had him spinning around, wand raised and a spell on his lips. When he saw that it was Alderton- one of his Senior Aurors-he relaxed, but only slightly.

“Alderton!” Rufus barked, “You’re supposed to be on duty at Azkaban! What are you doing here?”

“Chief! Moody relieved me-told me to get here-fast as-possible,” Alderton panted, out of breath from running the length of the Auror department-if this was an emergency, he had likely taken the stairs as well, rather than wait for the lift.

“Take a breath and calm down,” Rufus commanded, casting a revitalizing charm on his Auror, “Now, what happened?”

“He’s ready to talk,” Alderton said, “but he insists he’ll only talk if you, Madame Bones and Headmaster Dumbledore are there.”

“He?” Rufus asked, confused for a moment, then he realized, “You mean-?”

“Yes, sir; Black said he’ll tell us where the boy is,” Alderton confirmed.

“Go to Hogwarts,” Rufus commanded, “Tell Dumbledore to come to the ministry as soon as possible; I’ll send a memo to Madame Bones and the minister to set up a meeting.”

December 21, 1992

Severus Snape slammed open the door to the ministry conference room and glared at the people assembled, taking that moment to see who was present. Across from him, sitting in the middle of the half-circle table facing the door, was Minister Fudge. To the minister’s left, was Amelia Bones, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and next to her was Head Auror Rufus Scrimgeour, followed by Aurora Greengrass, the Witch in charge of Magical Child Protective Services. On the other side of Fudge was Lucius Malfoy, newly elected head of the Hogwarts Board of Governors, followed by Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts. The seat in between Albus and Lucius was empty, and the headmaster gestured him towards it.

“Severus, thank you for coming on such short notice,” Albus said cheerfully, “Normally Minerva would have come with me, however it wouldn’t do to leave Hogwarts without both myself and the Deputy Headmistress, even if it is currently the winter holidays. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything important?”

“I was merely working on the potions to restock the infirmary,” Severus replied coolly, “I have put them in stasis, however, so this is not a great inconvenience.”

“Very good,” Fudge smiled, “Now that we are all present, Chief Scrimgeour will tell you why this meeting was called. Scrimgeour?”

“Thank you, Minister,” Scrimgeour stood up, “Two days ago, Auror Alderton came to me with an urgent message; Alderton had been stationed at Azkaban, and Black told him he was ready to talk to us about the boy-about Harry Potter. He is willing to reveal to us his location, however he insisted we would have to make a concession first. After much debate, the minister, Madame Bones and Headmaster Dumbledore have agreed to Black’s request, and Aurors Alderton and Moody are waiting in the antechamber to bring the prisoner in. If we are all ready, I will signal them to proceed.”

“Before you bring in the prisoner, will you not tell us what the concession is?” Lucius demanded, “You would not agree to free Black in exchange for Mr. Potter’s location, I hope; as much as I would like to see Mr. Potter returned to us, I do not wish to see a madman like Black walking freely among innocent witches and wizards.”

“Of course we would not free Black,” Madame Bones frowned at him, “If that had been his demand, we would have found a way around it. Luckily, however, his request is much easier to meet. Black stated he left Mr. Potter in a community where there are other children his age who have magical abilities; he will tell us the location of that community once we make a binding promise to offer any magical children who are the same age as Mr. Potter, and whose parents agree, a place at Hogwarts next year. In addition, Black insists that Mr. Potter be allowed to return to this community and his current guardian every summer should he so wish, and that Mr. Potter’s head of house be named his guardian while he is in school.”

“I see,” Lucius said slowly, “You all agreed to this?”

“Of course,” Fudge said, “If there are magical children out there, they need to be brought into our world; it is the only way to preserve our heritage. Why, we can’t leave innocent children to suffer!”

“Mr. Black was also informed that Madame Greengrass would be examining Mr. Potter and any other children who join our school,” Albus added, “If she discovers any abuse, she can refuse to send them back to their current home and will work with myself and the ministry to find them more suitable guardians. Now, I believe we have waited long enough! Minister, shall Chief Scrimgeour give the signal?”

“What?  Yes, of course,” Fudge nodded, “Have the prisoner brought in, Scrimgeour.” Scrimgeour nodded and whispered into a small orb; moments later, a set of double-doors on the left side of the room opened, and a scraggly Sirius Black was led in by Mad-Eye Moody and a younger Auror, whom Severus guessed was the Alderton mentioned previously. Black was brought to stand before them, wearing the coarse grey robes provided to all inmates of Azkaban and with his arms shackled in front of him. Black’s long, dark hair was matted and his face was sallow, but his grey eyes were as sharp as ever.

“Sirius Black,” Fudge glowered at the convict, “You are here to tell us the whereabouts of one Harry James Potter.”

“Not until you make the vow,” Black growled, “I won’t tell you anything until then.”

“Of course,” Albus said cheerfully, before the red-face minister could reply, “Madame Bones had a contract drawn up; we shall sign it, and then you shall tell us Harry’s location. Madame?” Madam Bones opened a folder that had been sitting in front of her and withdrew a sheet of parchment. A quill appeared in her hand, and Severus immediately noticed that it was a Blood Quill, which could only legally be used in the presence of a ministry official, and only for signing official documents. Madame Bones signed the contract, and then passed it along to Fudge and Albus, who both signed it as well. The contract was then floated over to Black so that he could read it.

“Okay,” Black nodded after a few minutes, “I agree that you’ve met your side of the bargain. I hid Harry Potter in a place with a magic ward, with blood family, and tied it all together with a modified Fidelius. Even once I tell you the location, none who mean Harry harm will be able to enter the community.”

“Yes, yes,” Fudge said impatiently, “We’ve met your terms, so get on with it Black.” Black glared at the minister, then sighed.

“Fine,” he grumbled, turning slightly so that he was mostly facing Albus, “Harry Potter is living…”

June 29, 1993

“Are you all set, Severus?” Albus asked, looking Severus over from head-to-toe, “We have the list of students, and you have permission to be within their borders for 48 hours. If you do not activate the return portkey before then, you will be trapped on that island as well.”

“I am aware,” Severus replied, “However, if Black is correct, there is a small magical area I can activate the portkey from. According to him, the children should be able to lead me to the magical area. Albus, loathe as a I am to think anything good about Black, it does appear that he cares for Potter. Are you absolutely certain that he was the Potter’s Secret Keeper? All we have to go on are the accusations of a coward who vanished soon after the Potter’s died. I only mention it because the Potter boy likely came to care for Black during their time together and may demand to know why Black was never given a trial.”

“That thought has occurred to me as well,” Albus sighed, “If Sirius is indeed innocent, that will change a good many things. However, worries about Black must be pushed aside for the moment; our priority right now is getting Harry Potter here safely. The return portkey will bring you to the townhouse in London, which the Hogwarts Board of Governors has rented out for the summer. Madame Pomphrey will be waiting to give them a health scan, and Minerva will provide additional supervision for the young ladies of the group. Harry and his friends will be the only students there for two weeks, and then some of their peers will begin arriving.” Albus sighed again, “I wish we could control who young Harry is exposed to upon his re-introduction to the Magical World, but you will simply have to monitor his friendships as best you can. We will push him towards the Weasley’s and Mr. Longbottom if at all possible.”

“We have been over this before and, as you are aware, I have an excellent memory,” Severus snapped at the headmaster, “Now, if you do not mind, I would like to get this little journey over with and return as soon as possible. If I remember correctly, you have some parents to soothe after the disaster that happened this year, as well as a minister who refuses to believe that the Dark Lord has returned.”

“Quite right,” Albus agreed, “We are lucky indeed that Voldemort did not kill anyone when he regained his body, but I can only conclude he has sinister reasons for not committing murder. Ah, here comes Madame Bones; you had best be off, Severus.” Severus gave a short nod, then picked up the quill which would act as his portkey; his return portkey was safe in his pocket.

“Lost,” he said the activation word, and was swept away just as he heard Albus calling for Madame Bones to enter.

******************************

The portkey dropped Severus into a large, rundown kitchen that held a small crowd of people, and Severus took a moment to examine them before offering a greeting.

The room contained three women and one man. The first woman had pale skin and dark blue eyes, her hair was hidden under a black wimple with a golden crown (it looked to be made of plastic, covered with gold-colored paint) resting on top. She wore a dark blue, long-sleeved gown and a red satin-lined, black velvet cape with a high white collar. It was easy to tell she had been beautiful in her younger days, but time and harsh living had worn her down. She ignored Severus’ arrival, all her attention focused on her appearance in a small hand-held mirror.

Walking around the room, trying to be inconspicuous, was a male dressed in dark trousers and a long-sleeved red shirt with a black vest over it. He wore a turban on his head and had a goatee, and he had the look of a man who had once been athletic, but then let himself go. As he wandered the room, he would occasionally pick up an object and slip it in his pocket, before continuing on.

The next woman was dark-skinned, with frizzy black and white hair, and a mad look in her eyes. She wore a waist length black and white matted fur coat, red and black elbow-length gloves with leggings that had one black leg and one white leg. Perched on her shoulder, attached to the coat, was a tiny stuffed dog. The woman was talking softly to the stuffed animal, then gave a wild laugh and squeezed it, causing the toy to make a squeaking sound. It was quite disturbing.

The last woman was reclining in a high-backed green chair. She had pale skin and pale, haunting green eyes. She wore black and purple dress robes, tattered now but they had likely been very fine in times past. A red-violet underskirt showed in the front, and a high-collared, black and purple cloak was clasped around her shoulders. Her horned head piece was also black and purple, and her lips were painted purple as well. Though she appeared bored with the whole situation and barely glanced at Severus, this woman exuded power, and he knew she was the leader of this group of villains, castoffs from the Kingdom of Auradon.

“Lady Maleficent,” Severus bowed deeply in a show of respect, “My name is Severus Snape. I have the letters for the chosen children.”

“Ah, yes,” Maleficent smiled cruelly, “Severus. I’ve been expecting you. These are my minio-cohorts. Jafar, formerly of Agrabah.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Severus,” Jafar greeted him with a smile and a hug, only to back away with a pained shout and a frown, his hands red from where he had tried to steal Severus’ potions kit; magic may not work on the Isle, but the anti-theft potion worked perfectly.

“Likewise,” Severus said drily, smirking at the would-be thief.

“Cruella de Vil,” Maleficent indicated the woman dressed in black and white.

“Severus…do you have any dogs, Severus?” The woman asked, “I need a knew scarf, you see.” Severus ignored her and turned his attention on the final woman, who had finally looked away from the mirror to glare at him.

“And I believe you and Grimhilde know one another, although she goes by Evil Queen now,” Maleficent smirked.

“Yes, I remember Hilde,” Severus replied, regarding the glaring woman with interest, “I must admit, I was rather surprised when you vanished, and I was told your true identity.”

“I wasn’t the only one keeping secrets, Prince,” Evil Queen glared for another moment, then turned up her nose, “I refuse to let my daughter go anywhere with that fraud. She will remain here with me.”

“We have already discussed this, EQ,” Maleficent retorted, “Evie will go along with the others. It is our one chance for revenge against those who have wronged us. Don’t you want revenge on Snow White and those nasty little men?”

“Very well,” Evil Queen capitulated, “Shall we summon the children?”

“I believe they deserve to receive their letters the same way any magical child would,” Maleficent said, “You do have their letters, don’t you Severus?”

“Of course,” Severus pulled a small stack of letters from his pocket, “However, I did not think to bring an owl.” Maleficent threw her head back and laughed.

“An owl?” She cackled, “Don’t be ridiculous!” She snapped her fingers, and five ravens flew in through the window, perching on a table in front of the throne. “Give each raven a letter and tell it which child the letters go to. My ravens will make the delivery.”

“As you wish,” Severus read the name on the first letter and handed it to one of the ravens, continuing until each raven held a letter. With another snap of Maleficent’s fingers, the ravens rose into the air as one, and flew out of a nearby window.

“Now then, another matter remains to be settled,” Maleficent announced, “Tell me, Severus, where do your loyalties truly lie?” Maleficent extended her arm, and a form detached itself from the shadows in the corner. The figure stepped into the light, and Severus nearly had a heart attack when he recognized the young man standing before him-a young man he had last seen in a memory belonging to Neville Longbottom. Without hesitation, Severus sank to one knee, bowing his head.

“Severus,” a soft, cultured voice greeted him. Severus lifted his head, remaining kneeling, and said the only thing he could.

“My Lord.”

“Ah, Severus,” the rich, cultured tone was nothing like the high, cold voice Severus remembered, but he had no doubt who he was kneeling before, “Rise. We have much to discuss, and Diaval will make certain the children do not interrupt us.” Lord Voldemort turned to Maleficent and bowed, kissing her hand, “We shall return shortly to discuss our plans, My Lady.”

“Yes, yes,” Maleficent said irritably, already turning her attention to Grimhilde, “EQ, did you bring the magic mirror?”

“Come, Severus,” Lord Voldemort led him out of the room and down a dark hallway, then into a small, dark office.

“My Lord, I am pleased to see you have returned,” Severus said, lying through his teeth; he just hoped his Occlumency shields did not fail him, “May I inquire as to how you found yourself on the Isle of the Lost?”

“Lies do not become you, Severus,” the Dark Lord said chidingly, and Severus fought to hide his trembling, “I know you are not pleased to see me, and I understand why. You already know how I regained my body last year, but do you know how and why I became what I was? Sit, Severus, and let me tell you a story; a story of a man who became a monster, and how he had to suffer defeat at the hands of a child to regain his humanity.”

What followed was a horrific tale of the Dark Lord’s youth as an abused orphan in London, and how he discovered his heritage as a descendant of Salazar Slytherin. The promising youth delved deeply into dark magic-too deeply. He sought ways to escape death and came up on the ritual to create a Horcrux. He committed murder in order to tear off and preserve a portion of his soul-and then repeated those same actions another five times, not realizing that each Horcrux created diminished his humanity and sanity.

Then, came the night he went after the Prophecy Child, Harry Potter. The rebounding death curse had jolted part of his already unstable soul loose and, while the majority of his soul fled the site of his bodies destruction, the small piece torn lose sought a new home in the only living being nearby-Harry Potter.

After that night, the larger portion of Lord Voldemort’s soul wandered helplessly around the world, seeking a body to possess. He was too week to possess an unwilling human, and so was forced to possess animals, mostly snakes. In 1991, Lord Voldemort was lucky to find a weak-willed wizard to possess; even better, Professor Quirrell worked at Hogwarts.

The Dark Lord skipped over his attempts at gaining the Philosopher’s Stone, as Severus already knew about those events, and moved on to what happened at the end of the last school year. His Horcrux-Diary had been found by Neville Longbottom. At first Tom, the sixteen-year-old memory of Lord Voldemort, possessed Longbottom and forced him to open the chamber, but then he started getting some of Longbottom’s memories.

Tom had learned the ugly truth about his life after Hogwarts, and decided that he did not want to repeat his mistakes. He needed to be corporeal again, but he did not want to achieve his life by killing an innocent; this was his chance to start over and do things the right way. He convinced Longbottom to send the diary via owl to Theodore Nott, Sr. The man had been one of his most vicious Death Eater’s, and Longbottom had told Tom that he witnessed the elder Nott beating his son the summer prior. Child abuse was one thing Lord Voldemort had never tolerated.

Nott wrote in the diary, recognizing it as the one his lord gave to Lucius, and was convinced to journey to Hogwarts. Tom then possessed Nott and forced him to write in the diary until his life-force faded; once he became corporeal, Tom transfigured Nott into a pig and let the Basilisk eat him. He had just been preparing to send the basilisk to sleep and leave, when Longbottom had appeared in the chamber to stop him. Tom had the basilisk petrify Longbottom, then sent it back to sleep and escaped the chamber.

After escaping the school, Tom searched out his remaining Horcruxes and reabsorbed his soul, then he went after the main soul piece left behind. He confronted the shade of Lord Voldemort but was not strong enough to absorb the shade completely; Tom gained Voldemort’s memories, and then the shade tore free and fled from him.

“Once my shade left, I decided that I needed to go somewhere to regain my strength,” the Dark Lord concluded, “I knew Lady Maleficent of old, and snuck onto the Isle by hiding on one of the barges. Maleficent agreed to let me live with her, as long as I swore not to harm the children or tell anyone of our past.

“And so, I have spent the last year living with Maleficent, Diaval, and the two children. I will remain here with Maleficent until it is time for me to return to the Magical World, and I will do everything in my power to protect her children. And yes, I know very well who her son truly is. I regained my sanity along with my new body. I still intend to conquer the Magical World one day, but this time I will do it the right way. In order to succeed, I will need your assistance.”

“I am at your service, My Lord,” Severus said, “Anything you need, I shall acquire for you, and Diaval should have access to the trunk that I use for sending supplies to the children.”

“Yes, he does,” the Dark Lord confirmed, “First, I intend to claim my inheritance and change my name to Lord Marvolo Antioch Slytherin; I shall portray myself as my own illegitimate son. You will take a sample of my blood to Gringott’s and act as my proxy until I return. I also need an aging potion.”

“I can have one ready within two weeks,” Severus said, “Hmm…enough to age you about seventeen years, perhaps? Thirty-four would be an appropriate age.”

“Yes,” Lord Voldemort-or, rather, Marvolo-corrected, “You will also give me a list of people who are still loyal to me, and those who you believe would be loyal with my new methods. I will have you begin passing on information once I know who to trust.” Severus nodded his agreement, but didn’t speak, and Marvolo continued, “Finally, the most important thing I need you to focus on right now, is creating a ritual to safely remove my Horcrux from Ree. I do not want my soul or the boy to be harmed by its removal, and the ritual must take place when I am there so that I may reabsorb my soul.”

“I will begin at once,” Severus promised.

“Very good,” Marvolo smiled, “Now, shall we join Maleficent and the others? There are a few last-minute details I know she wishes to discuss with you before you retire for the night. You will not be meeting the children until tomorrow.”

“That is acceptable,” Severus said, following Marvolo back to Maleficent’s “throne room”.

** ** ** **

July 1, 1993

It was late afternoon, and Severus was waiting impatiently for his charges to arrive. Maleficent had sent them on some errand or another before Severus even woke up, and so Severus still had not lain eyes on the four brats. Severus spent most of the morning speaking with Marvolo, who was insisting that Severus claim his title as Lord Prince. Once Grimhilde heard this, she moved closer to them and began looking at Severus with more interest. He, of course, knew exactly what she was thinking; a lord was a step down from a prince, but still better than a commoner. Severus knew he would have to watch out for her.

Finally, after Severus had eaten lunch, the front door slammed open and five loud, obnoxious teens entered the room.

“Mal! Ree!” Maleficent cried, and two of the kids, a boy and girl, immediately made their way to Maleficent’s throne. The Dark Fairy spoke to her children quietly, and the other three teens made a beeline for their own parents. Before Severus could really examine the children, Maleficent called him over. Maleficent was sitting in her throne, with Marvolo standing slightly behind her to the left and Diaval taking the same position on the right. Her children, Mal and Ree, sat on the arms of her throne; Ree sat on the left with Diaval’s hand on his shoulder, and Mal sat on the right with Marvolo’s hand on her shoulder.

“Severus, these are my children,” Maleficent said, “My daughter, Mal, and my son, Ree. Children, this is Severus Snape; he will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts.”

“Professor,” the teens said in unison, bowing their heads in acknowledgement as they studied him with piercing green eyes. Severus knew the two had been raised as siblings, others on the Isle even thought they were twins, but the only thing identical about them were their eyes.

Mal, was truly Maleficent’s daughter. Her hair was styled in a vibrant purple bob, and her skin was pale as porcelain. Her features were fae in nature; a button nose and a mouth that could be sweet if she were to smile instead of scowl. Her outfit was mostly leather, in shades of purple with accents of green, black and hot pink. She was wearing a patchwork leather jacket with multiple zippers, violet on one sleeve and green on the other, and a high collar framing her face. The jacket was zipped so that the purple lace collar of her shirt was just visible. Severus had already noticed the purple-and-green heart-shaped dueling dragons emblem on the back of Mal’s jacket when she walked past him earlier. She also wore purple distressed jeans and black combat boots. She had purple dragon-shaped earrings, and a silver dragon pendant holding a purple jewel. On her hands, she wore black fingerless gloves with cutouts revealing her knuckles, and a silver bracelet with a chain connecting it to a silver and amethyst ring.

Ree, on the other hand, had olive skin, which he obviously inherited from his father. His features, however, were slightly more delicate; his nose and lips were a softer version of James Potter’s, but his cheekbones and eyes were all Lily. His hair, Severus frowned to see, was an unruly mess of dark green with purple streaks and a heavy purple bang sweeping across his forehead. He wore mostly green leather, with purple, black and silver as his accent colors. He wore a long, dark green, distressed leather jacket with silver fastenings, worn open so that his ripped silver tank top with its image of a green-and-purple serpent coiled inside a heart was visible, as were the black distressed jeans with green patches on the knees and silver chains hanging from his right him. His belt was silver shaped like a snake, with emerald eyes, and he wore black combat boots like his sister, and green fingerless gloves. To Severus’ consternation, Ree also wore what appeared to be a black pirates hat with a long green feather and decorated with silver seashells and a green snake coiled around the brim. Actually, even the duster reminded Severus of clothing pirates would wear, and he found himself praying that the young Potter didn’t fancy himself a pirate; that was the last thing Hogwarts needed.

“This is Evil Queen’s daughter, Evie,” Maleficent continued, “Carlos, son of Cruella. Jay, son of Jafar. Children, your teacher.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Professor,” Evie smiled sweetly, giving a curtsy.

“Sup,” Jay said with a nod.

“Professor,” Carlos said quietly, moving away from his mother to stand closer to Jay. Severus took a moment to study the three.

Evie looked very like her mother had in her younger years, although her features were softer than the Evil Queen’s had ever been. Her eyes were a dark blue, almost black, and seemed to sparkle with mischief and fun. She had a rosebud mouth curved in a soft smile, and blue hair that fell in loose waves down to her waist except for her bangs which had been braided back from her face. Evie’s chosen colors were mostly blue and black, with red and gold accents and splashes of white. She was wearing a dark blue leather mini dress decorated with golden studs, with a slanted gold zipper going from her right thigh to her left shoulder. The collar extended into a half-cape that had the outline of a cracked golden crown around a red heart. She wore black leggings with splashes of blue and white, and black ankle boots with more gold studs. Her necklace and earrings matched-a heart inside a gold crown.

Jay was darker than the other kids, his swarthy skin tone evidence of his Arabian descent. His quick brown eyes seemed to catalogue everything and everyone in the room, and Severus didn’t doubt that the teen was a better thief than his father; he made a mental note to increase the security on his belongings once they returned to London. Jay seemed to have a permanent smirk on his face, and wore his long, dark red hair (Severus had thought it was black at first, until the light hit it just right) flowing free around his shoulders. Jay wore a sleeveless leather vest with yellow stripes on either side of the zipper over a black tank top, blue leather pants, and black combat boots. (Severus noticed that combat boots-and-leather seemed to be a theme among the children on the Isle.) He wore a red woolen hat, a studded leather bracelet on his right hand and a fingerless glove on his left hand. Jay had the emblem of a gold cobra coiled on the back of his vest, a bronze lamp secured in the coils.

The last teen, Carlos, had the same underfed look to him as Ree. His brown eyes were wary, and he tended to stay close to Jay. His hair was black at the roots with white tips, and he had fair skin with freckles. Carlos wore a leather vest that was black on the left and white on the right over a long-sleeve red shirt, and he wore leather shorts with white on the left leg and black on the right. He wore combat boots like the other teens, and a choker with what looked like a wolf fang. He wore red leather fingerless gloves and studded leather bracelets on both wrists. The back of Carlos’ vest was red, with a pair of crossed bones in black and white.

“Is everyone ready to go?” Severus asked, and each teen picked up a small black backpack with their emblem on it. They glanced at their parents, then gathered around Severus and he pulled out the portkey-an old scarf that was frayed around the edges. The five teens eyed the portkey with suspicion.

“All you have to do is get a secure grip on the portkey,” Severus instructed, “It is the fastest way to travel. Do not let go until you feel solid ground under your feet again. I will count down from three, and then activate the portkey.” Each child-teen, really-grabbed a section of the scarf and braced themselves. Severus looked at each in turn, and saw that they all appeared wary, but determined. He allowed himself a small smirk before beginning the countdown.

“Three…two…one…Portus.” As the portkey activated, Severus thought-with no small amount of satisfaction-that Hogwarts-and Dumbledore-had no idea what they were in for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of the extended prologue; since it's a fairly short story, I decided to post all the chapters today. I intend to post the first chapter of the main story in a week or so. I hope you enjoyed this little preview. Please review and let me know what you think!


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